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Legislative Updates

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Child care and early learning has enjoyed strong bipartisan support amongst lawmakers for decades.

First Five Years Fund works closely with lawmakers from across the aisle to provide regular updates on early learning and care opportunities in Congress.

Check out our full legislative tracker here and bipartisan proposals here.

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Child Care Means Business: Leaders and Employers Highlight Urgent Need for Solutions

September 9, 2025

This week, the First Five Years Fund (FFYF) and the Women’s Congressional Policy Institute (WCPI) co-hosted a bipartisan briefing on Capitol Hill to spotlight that Child Care Means Business.  The …

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STATEMENT: FFYF Executive Director Sarah Rittling on Senate Markup of FY26 Funding Levels for Child Care and Early Learning Programs

July 31, 2025

WASHINGTON – Today, the Senate Appropriations Committee held a markup of the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Act to establish proposed funding levels for child care and …

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WEBINAR: Make the Most of August Recess

July 22, 2025

During August, Members of Congress return to their home states and districts for a scheduled recess to hear directly from the people they represent. This at home work period is …

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Funding for Key Early Learning Programs, FY2026

September 3, 2025

Each year, Congress determines funding levels for all of the federal defense and non-defense discretionary programs, including those that support the care and education of children from birth through age …

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118th and 119th Congress: Bipartisan Child Care Legislation in the House and Senate

July 21, 2025

Reliable, affordable child care is essential for hardworking families, especially as two-thirds of all children under the age of five need care because all available parents are working. Yet, high …

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The First Five Things to Know About: The PACE Act

April 16, 2025

Parents want to make child care choices that best support their family’s individual needs and their child’s development. This is especially true for the two-thirds of children ages five and …

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